Qatar Tourism celebrated Global Exhibitions Day (GED) with UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, on June 5, marking the inaugural GED celebration in the Middle East. The event was attended by His Excellency, Mr. Saad Bin Ali Al Kharji, Chairman of Qatar Tourism, Sheikh Jabor bin Yousef bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani Chairman of the Arab Union for International Exhibitions & Conferences -AUIEC, and Naji El Haddad, Regional Director of UFI. The GED 2024 celebration hosted key stakeholders from the exhibitions industry, both locally, and from the wider region. 

Qatar Tourism has been a Diamond Sponsor of UFI since 2018, the highest tier of partnership for UFI. Qatar Tourism and UFI share a long-standing history as strategic partners to develop Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibition (MICE) industry in the country. In addition, the sponsorship also promotes Qatar to UFI’s global network of members and strategic key markets. Qatar hosted the UFI MEA Conference last year, which further augmented Qatar’s exhibition sector by positioning Qatar firmly in the exhibitions market.

The GED event included discussions on topics like “Unlocking Opportunities: Qatar’s Business Events Industry Outlook & Potential” and “Challenges & Solutions for Venues of the Future”. Running under the theme ‘Exhibitions are catalysts to sustainable futures’, the GED is focusing on four key pillars; exhibitions drive progress, exhibitions facilitate economic growth, exhibitions are sustainable, and exhibitions connect people.

In his remarks during the opening ceremony, His Excellency, Mr. Saad bin Ali Al Kharji Chairman of Qatar Tourism, said: “We are delighted to host the first Global Exhibitions Day (GED) celebratory event in Qatar this year, a first for the region. We have a long -standing partnership with UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, as part of Qatar Tourism’s work to develop the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibition (MICE) industry in Qatar. MICE is a priority pillar driving growth in Qatar’s tourism sector. GED serves as a platform for networking and fruitful exchanges between industry leaders, stakeholders, and potential clients, making it an important event in the exhibitions sector for Qatar. Our aim is to increase the number of exhibitions in the country to further contribute to Qatar’s success as a leading regional hub of the MICE industry. Supported by well-advanced infrastructure, a business-friendly ecosystem, and state-of-the-art venues, Qatar has solidified its position as the favourable MICE destination for its capability for hosting mega events.

Qatar has built a strong track record of successfully hosting major events and conferences, attracting over 100,000s of visitors, such Geneva International Motor Show 2023, Doha Jewellery & Watches Exhibition, and Web Summit 2024, to name a few. Qatar is home to state-of-the-art MICE facilities, with 128 venues offering a combined exhibition capacity of 70,000 square meters.